No Such Thing as Too Strange
by MrsLyoko
Summary: Nerissa Hollywhite has always been too strange, but when she meets a strange woman with a strange name who offers to take her to a strange school for strange kids, Nerissa realizes that she's not so strange after all. When trouble threatens her new strange home, Nerissa must tap into her strange powers to save her friends. Mainly OC's with Harry, Ron, and Malfoy's children.
1. Chapter 1

_Another year, another school._

I thought bitterly, cracking my knuckles, a nervous habit I had picked up over the years. I looked up at the domed canopy that covered the front entrance to this new school. The name on the sign was faded and worn, but I could make out the words "Shell High" with a large, open sea shell underneath. As I understood, once my parents had come home from registering me, the school mascot was the mighty clam and in the entire county we were known for having the worst sports teams ever.

 _Joyful._

Sighing unhappily, I hoisted my bright blue backpack up further and resigned myself to yet another shitty school year, where at the end of it all I would have to move again to another shitty school and have another shitty school year until I finally graduated and was done with shitty schools forever. I grabbed the door handles and pulled, opening the door and slipping in. I was greeted by silence, which thankfully was only because it was ungodly early and not because hundreds upon hundreds of strange eyes stared at the strange girl. Only a security guard, who was sleepily trying to get his crappy little laptop working, was there. He looked up and shook his head wearily.

"The school is only open to faculty and students. If you're here to visit a friend, you'll have to come back later." He said the line in a monotone voice after turning back to his laptop which was still not working.

"I am a student. I just transferred. My mom dropped me off early to get my schedule." I replied quietly, trying to look casual as I touched the screen on his laptop. "Oops, sorry. Force of habit." I quickly covered up my blunder when he glared at me.

"Alright, well you'll have to hang on while I get this stupid thing to work. I can't look up your name to ensure you're telling the truth until it works." He was less monotone now that he realized that I was a student and not a wayward idiot looking to hook up with a summer fling in the bathroom.

"If I may, would you mind if I looked at your computer?" I said it before I even knew what I was saying, and the security guard looked at me suspiciously.

"It's just that I'm actually quite good at computers and I think I know what the problem is."

He continued to look suspicious, but pushed away from his little desk and turned the laptop around so it was facing me. "Well, alright if you say so but if you do anything to screw my laptop up…"

"Of course, of course. I won't screw up your laptop I promise." I waved his concern away and knelt down so I was eye level with the screen. Trying to be inconspicuous, I tapped on some keys, hoping the guard wouldn't notice me not actually doing anything other than staring intently at the screen. I cleared my mind and only thought about making the virus, which the laptop had caught from the guard secretly looking at porn, go away. A few seconds later the computer made a noise that sounded like it booting up, and the screen came up, revealing a cartoon of a clam holding a shield and football.

"There you are. All fixed." I turned the laptop back to the guard, who blinked a few times in awe before pulling himself back up to the desk and looking at me expectantly.

"Well, thanks. Anyways, what did you say your name was?"

"Nerissa Hollywhite, sir. We just moved here a few weeks ago." I bit back a yawn, still pretty exhausted from waking up so early. The guard typed a few things on the laptop then grunted.

"Ah, there you are. Yes, your schedule is all set to go, I can print one right here if you'd like. Since it's still pretty early you can wander around and get your bearings and find out where all your classes are. Shell High is a pretty big place and can be kind of confusing."

"Yes, please, sir. That would be lovely." I said, looking around the front entrance. It was fairly large, with an airy feel to it. The ceiling above the large staircase was domed like the outside canopy, and covered in small square windows. Early morning sunlight streamed through them, creating a sun-room feel. While I waited for the security guard to print up my schedule, I continued to look around. To my right was several closed double doors. Above the set closest to me bold lettering let me know they lead to an auditorium. Next to those doors, a small door said it was the back entrance to the dance room and a door next to that was labeled boy's bathroom. A large brick wall decorated with performing arts awards separated the boy's and girl's bathrooms. Next to the entrance to the girl's bathroom was the front entrance to the dance room. A little further back was another set of doors that apparently led to the auditorium and further past that was a long hallway that contained all the performing arts classrooms. And that was only half of the main upper area. The security guard cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him.

"Alright, there you are. Like I said, you can go look around and find all your classes, but don't bother the teachers if you can avoid it. They're busy preparing for the first day." He didn't say it angrily, just warily. I understood what he meant though, and nodded.

"Of course. Thank you again." I turned to my left and started to walk away, but the guard's voice stopped me.

"You know, you're a strange girl but I am glad you fixed my laptop."

"Thank you, sir." I responded before bolting away. I shouldn't have done it, I shouldn't have taken such a risk to do something so strange so early on my first day. He didn't know how I fixed it, and honestly, I didn't know how I fixed it. I'd been doing strange, unexplainable things since the age of five, when a girl in my kindergarten class punched me and called me a freak for asking about the giant skeletal horse following her around. I told my parents about the incident and instead of sending me off to a shrink like they probably should have, they comforted me and told me it was alright. That's when the moving started. Every year, we moved to a different state, a different school. And it wasn't because we wanted to. It was because every year, without fail, I would do something or say something inexplicably strange, people would start asking questions and we'd have to move again. I didn't expect this year to be any different. Nonetheless, I began to hunt down my classrooms because, as the guard had warned, the school was massive. It only had two floors, but each hallway extended in every direction and there were an innumerable amount of hallways. I quickly figured out the numbering system used on all the classrooms, but the order in which they were spread out was incredibly confusing. Eventually I had my classroom locations figured out, but I still didn't know how the numbers were spread. I decided it didn't matter because a bell rang and I heard many voices coming from down the hall. Knowing the school had been filling up while I had been wandering, I hightailed to my first classroom, on the upper floor, hiding in a corner to wait for class to begin.

It was in this hallway where my life simultaneously ended and began.

It had only been a few minutes since I found my semi-dark, semi-hidden corner closest to the door when I heard a voice.

"Heya. Whatcha doin in the corner?" the voice was perky and upbeat, suspiciously so. I looked over to see a tall blonde girl leaning against the wall next to me, beaming. "Aren't ya the new girl? Why aren't ya down in the commons with us, meetin' and greetin' everyone?" She stood there perkily, still beaming. I shook my head.

"I'm not really the social type." It was a lame excuse, but I hoped a social girl like this would be repelled by my aloofness.

"Oh, nonsense! Everyone is a lil' social. C'mon, I'll introduce ya to some people." She reached for my hand. I shied away, and she came after me again. "C'mon, don't be shy." I tried to move out of the way again, but she was faster. She gripped my wrist and tugged me after her, although I resisted and pulled back.

"No, seriously. I don't want to. Please, just let go of me." I pulled away hard. Several things happened at once, but it was like they were in slow motion. I yanked my hand free from the girl, and the hallway was filled with a bang and a flash of green light. Once the spots faded from my vision, I saw the girl on the floor, seemingly unconscious. We had been blown back by the force of the explosion and I was stuck in a pile of smashed lockers. I forced myself to get up and go inspect the girl, just to make sure she wasn't seriously injured. When I reached her, I checked her pulse and made sure her airways weren't blocked, even though there was nothing to suggest that there would be anything in her lungs. When things like this happened to me, I never knew what to expect. Once it was clear she was mostly unharmed, I slumped down next to her. I heard a stampede of feet running our way and hoped that the officials and staff would be understanding and not immediately blame me, although I had a knack for drawing suspicion. A herd of staff and students rounded the corner, and when they stumbled upon us, there were several screams and cries of "oh my God!" but I didn't pay attention to them. The only thing I saw was a young woman, standing at the back of the group. Her long brown hair was braided down her side, revealing the streaks of blonde. Her vibrant green eyes surveyed the chaos calmly and when she noticed me staring at her she smiled and walked forward, slipping through the crowd easily.

She reached me and helped me up, still smiling as she turned to the assembled group. Without a word, she pulled out a long, slender piece of wood and waved it over the crowd. They fell silent and I watched as everyone's eyes glazed over. Finally, the woman spoke.

"Alright you lot. Here's what happened here. A young man approached this young lady and tried to get her to plant a bomb inside one of the lockers. When she refused, he detonated it, although he probably should have let go of it. He got blown to itty bitty untraceable bits. No one knows who he was or where he came from but that's alright because he's gone now and your precious student is, for the most part, unharmed. She'll be fine, you will all be fine, and the school will go on as if nothing really happened." She paused for a second, then waved the piece of wood again. "And the girl I have with me has never existed nor will she ever exist to you. That will be all. Thank you for your time." She turned to me and smiled gently. "Well then, shall we be on our way? I imagine you're very confused right now." She held out her arm to me, and hesitantly I took it, unsure of what was about to happen. Nothing could have prepared me for what actually happened though. The moment my hand touched the woman's arm, everything went black. My ears felt full of cotton and my stomach rose to my throat, trying to claw it's way out. There was an unbearable pressure behind my eyes and it radiated throughout my skull, making my head feel like it was going to explode. I didn't know how long it had lasted, but when we finally stopped, I was doubled over, gasping for breath. It took a few moments for my stomach to fall back into it's proper place and for my eyes to stop watering, but once everything had returned to normal, I looked up to see the strange woman looking down at me, a mixture of concern and amusement on her face. I stood up and nodded to her unspoken question.

"Well, you certainly did much better than I expected. Most people usually vomit their first time." She hummed happily and turned away from me.

"I wonder why." I responded wryly, not really understanding what had just happened. It was then I realized we were in front of the house my parents and I had just moved into. And this strange woman was walking up to the front door and ringing the doorbell. I rushed up after her. "What are you doing?" I hissed, stopping her finger from hitting the button.

"Well, usually people don't appreciate it when you barge into their house, correct? Isn't this the civilized way to enter a house?" She looked at me curiously. "Or, are you different? Because if that's the case, we can just walk in, can't we?"

"Well, yes but…you're a stranger and my parents don't know you and it's just extremely complicated." I sputtered for an explanation as to why it would catastrophic if I were to show up now, not even an hour after the first class started.

"Oh, I see. I think you'll find that your parents know me and once everything's been explained they'll be alright. But seeing as this is your house, I'll let you ring the doorbell." She smiled at me and stepped back, humming again.

"I don't need to ring the damn doorbell." I muttered before opening the door. "Well, come on then. Let's get this over with." I stepped in and closed the door behind the woman. "Um…hello?" I called out tentatively, partially hoping no one would be home. My hopes were dashed when my mom's voice echoed from upstairs.

"Nerissa? What on earth are you doing home?" her voice was both confused and harsh. I winced as she stomped down the stairs, her arms crossed. "Nerissa Lia Hollywhite you'd better have a damn good explanation as…" she stopped short when she saw me standing next to the woman.

"Headmistress Dawn!" She gasped, uncrossing her arms and sagging in relief. "Oh my stars. What happened? Is Nerissa alright?" Her tone changed from annoyed to concerned and in a heartbeat she was in front of me, feeling my forehead and rubbing my arms.

"Mom, I'm fine, really. Quit your fussing, I'm fine." My cheeks flared as the woman mom had called headmistress Dawn looked at us, barely holding back a laugh.

"Yes, Mrs. Hollywhite, Nerissa's fine. There was a little mishap at the school, completely an accident. But I got her out safe and the incident has been taken care of."

"A mishap? What happened?"

"Nerissa was feeling threatened and her powers manifested themselves to protect her. It was nothing big, just a little accident. But, Mrs. Hollywhite, I must impress on you the importance of now, more than ever, sending her with me. This time it was a small incident, but in time it will become bigger and harder for her to control. She needs to come with me, to learn how to control it."

"Um, excuse me? Don't mean to be rude here, but I am standing right next to you. What's this about powers? And why would they get worse?" I looked between the two women, my heart stuttering in my chest.

"Nerissa…" my mom took my hands in hers. "Sweetheart…there's something I need to tell you."

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Half an hour later, mom, headmistress Dawn, and I sat in the kitchen. Mom had made some coffee and my cup sat in front of me, cold and untouched while my brain whirled and my stomach heaved.

"I…I'm a what?" My voice squeaked and I couldn't keep my eyes from bouncing from one woman to the other. Headmistress Dawn smiled gently and mom reached for my hand.

"You're a witch, honey. And a very powerful one." My mom repeated, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry we didn't say anything sooner sweetie, we just thought it would be better if we tried to raise you as a regular girl."

"You're joking, right?" My shock was quickly turning to anger. "You thought it would be _better_ if you raised me as a normal girl?" I laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "News flash, mother, but I've never been normal and you know it. And yet you continued to move me around, year after year, trying to maintain normalcy? You put me through years of hell and torment and loneliness so you could be normal?!" I was crying now and my hands were balled into fists. My anger was building with alarming speed, swelling until it was all I could feel. "How dare you make me suffer like I have, being a perpetual outcast, lugging me from state to state! And for what?" I stopped, out of words to express how furious I was. Headmistress Dawn was taken aback, as was my mom, by my outburst. She had let go of my hand and her eyes were glistening with tears.

"I know, we had no right to do any of that to you. And I wish that we could go back in time and start over, do everything differently." The tears in her eyes spilled over and down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry Nerissa. We were scared and confused, we didn't know what was going on and why the things you were doing were happening. We did what we thought was right at the time. But as your powers got stronger and stronger, we realized we needed help." She turned to headmistress Dawn, who smiled and took a sip of her coffee. "We were looking for someone when headmistress Dawn showed up at our doorstep, offering to help us." Mom hung her head in shame. "But when she offered to take you to her school, we refused. We didn't want you to leave, even though it would only be for a school year. Dawn didn't push us or try to convince us, but she did promise to keep an eye on you when she could. And before she left she said that one day we'd see her again and that time would be when we sent you to her school." She looked up at me, still crying. "She was right."

"I usually am. And while I'm not one to really judge muggles on the decisions they make, I must admonish you and your husband for not doing the right thing for your daughter sooner. But that milk has been spilled, so there's no use in arguing about it anymore. Now the only thing left is for Nerissa to decide." Mom opened her mouth to object, but Dawn held her hand up. "No, Mrs. Hollywhite it is Nerissa choice now, seeing as she can't always rely on you to make good decisions." Her voice was light, but the heavy disappointment behind the words made mom hang her head again. Any other day I would have stood up for her, but right now I was so upset I didn't think I could. So I turned to headmistress Dawn.

"What am I deciding?"

"If you want to come with me, to my school, where you will be taught how to properly use your powers. You will be surrounded by kids your age who are like you. You won't be an outcast at the school."

The decision was easy to make. I would go with Dawn, to a school where there were people who had powers, like me. To a school where I wouldn't been seen as strange, to a school that would accept me.

So why couldn't I say the words?

I took a deep breath and thought about everything I had just been told. I was a witch. My parents had kept me, for the majority of my life, away from the school that offered me everything I had never had because they didn't want me to be away from them. Headmistress Dawn hadn't tried to convince them, but she had kept an eye on me better than my parents ever had. And now, she was sitting in my kitchen, calmly sipping coffee like this whole conversation was completely normal while mom fretfully wrung her hands and sniffled. I took another breath and turned to my mum.

"Headmistress Dawn is right in saying I can not longer trust you to make any decisions for me. However, you are still my parents and I will always love you, no matter what. But I will be going with Headmistress Dawn to her school where I will learn how to control myself. And in that time I will not be coming home until I have complete control over myself." Even as I said that I knew the real reason I wouldn't be coming back is because I was still hurt by my parents decisions. I imagined both mom and Dawn knew that, but they didn't call me out on it. Instead, headmistress Dawn smiled and mom nodded understandingly.

"We must leave right away, my dear. I'm afraid you've missed the train that takes you to the school, but there are other ways of getting there." Dawn said, shooing me from the table. "Go and pack your things. We'll leave when you're ready."

"What about her father?" Mom asked, eyes wide with alarm. "What am I going to tell him?"

"The truth, of course. Tell him there was an accident at the school and when we told Nerissa she was a witch and presented her with the choice to come with me or stay with you, she chose to come with me. You'll need to add more details so it all makes sense, but you can do that on your own." Dawn shooed me again. "Now, hurry up. We don't have all day."

Leaving my mom to work out the details with headmistress Dawn, I ran up the stairs and grabbed my old suitcase out of the unused guest room. I hauled it to my room and began to throw clothes and books into the black case. I figured I would need a lot of clothes until I was able to get some more, so I made sure to pack all of my jeans and shirts and as many tank tops and undergarments as I could fit. Once I was sure I had all my clothes, I went to the bathroom and grabbed my brush and deodorant as well as any other hygiene items I needed. I put those in the suitcase while marveling at how surreal the whole situation felt. Truthfully it felt more like I was going on a long vacation rather than making a life changing decision. I decided not to dwell too much on that thought and chose instead to figure out which stuffed animals to take with me. While I had never been one to sleep with stuffed animals, I did have a collection of plushies that were near and dear to my heart. They sat, arranged in an unbroken line, on the top of my computer desk, in no particular order. I had several panda plushies and a few off brand stuffed animals found at knock off flea market stalls, but the majority of the collection was small, soft little animals with large anime-like eyes. They each came with a specific name and a small little blurb about the animal. Biting my lip, I decided to take the small giraffe and penguin, along with one of the pandas and a couple adorable little plushies derived from my favorite childhood TV show. Packing those small stuffed creatures on top of my clothes, I zipped the suitcase up and clanked down the stairs. Headmistress Dawn was standing by the door, flipping through a magazine that had been left on the ottoman by the door. Without looking up, she flipped a page and spoke to me.

"Muggle's idea of beauty is very strange. You prize those who are skinniest and shame those who are heavier, but then your next article praises those who aren't afraid to show their body type off, no matter what size." She tsked and turned another page. "Very strange indeed." She then put the magazine down and looked at me. "All set? Good. Say goodbye to your mom and we'll be on our way."

I turned around to see my mom still sitting at the kitchen table, eyes rimmed red and gripping her coffee cup with white knuckles.

"Goodbye mom." I could only muster up a half-hearted goodbye. The pain in my chest was still very prominent and it was all I could do not to start screaming at her again. It seemed like she understood though, because she offered me a watery smile.

"Good luck, Nerissa. Headmistress Dawn said you could send letters, so if you ever need anything or just want to talk, don't be afraid to send me a letter. I know your father and I screwed up, but we still love you. You're still our daughter and we are proud to say you're a witch." She didn't get up to hug me and I didn't go to her. I knew she was trying to make amends and trying to apologize, but the fact that they had kept me a secret for their sake still made my blood boil and my head spin. So instead of hugging my mom, I nodded, smiled a bit and turned away. Headmistress Dawn smiled at me and offered her arm.

"Are you ready, Nerissa?"

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"Absolutely." I took her arm and let myself be pulled into the crushing darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh!" I gasped as I ran into the cloaked back of another student. My books slipped out of my arms and scattered papers blew through the corridor. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Be careful." He said, turning around. His slate gray eyes landed on me. They widened slightly, and he tilted his head in confusion. "Hey, you're that Nerissa girl, right? I've heard so much about you and your story." He smirked and pushed his white blonde hair out of his face. "You're a very hot topic around here. Emphasis on the hot part." His smirk widened when my cheeks flushed. "Well, anyways. Watch where you're walking, Nerissa. Not everyone here finds you as interesting as I do." He turned and walked away, his black cloak swirling behind him. I glared after his retreating back, still grabbing at fluttering papers. It'd been only a week since my arrival at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, and already I'd managed to piss off most of the other students. Headmistress Flora's constant doting on me didn't help much either. She constantly praised me and would go on long rambles of how powerful I was and how mature my powers were. Not even my own housemates talked to me, unless they absolutely had to. I felt more lonely here than I ever had. I didn't have any friends, and my cat was usually off stalking mice in the kitchen. Feeling depressed, I finished gathering my books and papers and made my way to Charms class. I slipped in a few minutes late, avoiding Professor Kyfarial's stern gaze. I took my seat, at the back of the classroom, in an otherwise empty row. Professor Kyfarial didn't say anything, but his wise brown eyes looked at me knowingly. I turned away from him, and pulled my book out. While he hadn't really become a friend, Prof. Kyfarial had definitely become a confidante. He seemed to have a good sense of when one of his students needed advice. My first day, he held me after class to tell me if I ever needed to talk to anyone I could come to him. That was all he said before shooing me off to my next class. He was very brusque, but I saw the spark of caring in his eyes as he ushered me out of the classroom. I snapped out of my daze when a conspiratorial snicker sounded in front of me. Niobe and her acolytes were sneaking glances back, no doubt staring and laughing at me. I was a freak, a loner, an outcast. I wasn't raised in a magical household, I had no idea the nuances between the muggle and magical realm, and I didn't even know any of the basic spells that everyone else had learned at age two. Niobe had seemed to make it her ultimate goal to make sure I stayed an outcast.

And I was too uneducated to fight back.

Niobe was still giggling, but I didn't know why so I ignored her and read the board. Prof. Kyfarial had us starting on the levitation spell, and according to him and all the other professors I was a very gifted, natural individual. It didn't take long for me to master the spell on a simple feather, so Prof. Kyfarial had given me several different items to practice on, but I never practiced them in class so I worked on any other homework I had from other classes, mostly essays for Care of Magical Creatures and Astrology. They were a bitch to write, but the good student in me didn't let me slack on them like most of the other students. Sighing, I reached for my quill, only to find it had been transformed in a very angry, very disgruntled garden snake. Out of habit, I screamed and flung the poor snake across the aisle, where it landed smack on the top of Niobe's perfectly curled black hair. She screeched even louder than I did and smacked at her head, frantically trying to get the snake out of her hair. It got flung out of her hair and landed in the center aisle, writhing around. I felt bad for putting the poor creature through such hell. Prof. Kyfarial calmly walked to the snake and picked it up, carrying it to the open window and letting it slither down the wall. Once the snake was safe, Prof. Kyfarial turned back to the class.

"Well. Anyone care to explain what just happened?" He asked, his eyes sweeping across the class. They settled on me, then to Niobe who was smirking with her arms crossed.

"I think I know what happened Professor Kyfarial." Niobe said, her sugary voice carrying across the room. "It's all Nerissa's doing. She's such a freak, it was her weird way of trying to get my attention. I think you should send her to Headmistress Dawn."

"Oh? And why, pray tell, would Miss Hollywhite be trying to get your attention? You were obviously engrossed in your work, as was she." He turned to me. "Isn't that right?"

Silently, I nodded, not willing to draw any more attention to myself. Niobe huffed angrily, glaring at me.

"Who knows why she was trying to get my attention. Maybe it was to brag more about how talented she is? Or how much better she is at everything compared to everyone else?" She sneered at me. "Obviously she thinks she's too good for the rest of us if she's doing her other homework."

I lowered my head, feeling the tears stinging the back of my eyes. It was the same, no matter where I went. I was just too different.

"That's quite enough Niobe." A voice stated, sounding bored but angry. I looked up and saw the boy that I ran into in the hall, standing and pointing his ivory wand at Niobe. "Or would you rather I make you shut your whore mouth?"

Niobe's mouth hung open, her black eyes wide. I knew my mouth was the same, but for a completely different reason. Niobe was shocked that someone had stood up to her, I was shocked that someone had stood up for me.

"Mr. Malfoy." Professor Kyfarial eyed the boy, not warily but warningly. "Lower your wand."

But that was all Kyfarial said. He didn't reprimand the boy, and he didn't defend Niobe. Her mouth was closed now, into a thin, hard line. She was pissed, and I knew her anger would be directed at me. Feeling utterly done with everything, I stood up and bolted, ignoring Kyfarial's calls. It was happening all over again, everyone was treating me like a freak, even at the school that was supposed to embrace the freaks. I ran harder, trying to run away from the isolation, the taunts, the loneliness. It took me a few minutes to realize that someone was following me. Afraid it was Niobe but wanting to get the torture over with, I skidded to a stop, panting heavily. I could hear the panting behind me, and was surprised that Niobe had even bothered to work up any kind of sweat. After a few seconds, I realized we were halfway up the astronomy tower, a quiet and deserted area of the school. Behind me, I could hear Niobe regaining her breath and I knew the rage would be unleashed on me soon. But the voice that spoke between heavy breaths was not who I was expecting.

"Jesus Nerissa. You are really fast."

I whirled around to see the Malfoy boy, doubled over, hands on his knees, looking at me through his bangs.

"Malfoy! You...you were following me?"

He glared at me. "Call me Scorpius. And yes I was. I wanted...Kyfarial sent me after...to make sure you were ok." His grey eyes bored into mine, making me feel like he could see my soul.

"Oh...well thanks. For doing what he asked." I sputtered, feeling flustered and confused. Why would he lie about following me? And if Professor Kyfarial really had sent him after me, why was he acting shy about it? I shook my head. The last thing I needed to do was try and analyze the inner workings of Scorpius Malfoy, who, for all intents and purposes, seemed to be a sort of friendly person.

"Yeah. And about Niobe…"

"Don't. I know I shouldn't have let her get to me like that." I cut him off, leaning against the wall. I felt foolish and stupid for running away, for letting Niobe she could get under my skin easily.

"Actually, I was going to say leave her to me, but you do have a point." Scorpius leaned against the wall opposite of me, smirking a little. I glared at him, arms crossed.

"Not funny. Anyways, how would you deal with Niobe? She's like the queen of Hogwarts."

"And I'm the king. While we may not be a couple, and we never will because I can't stand the girl, she's not the only one who has an affluent father. I'm really good friends with Mr. Winteringham, and if I bring up her cruel use of magic against another witch, he'll take her down a peg." His smirk turned grim and he pushed himself off the wall, propelling him closer to me. "If you want me to, of course." His voice was deep and velvet, and his intense smoky grey eyes seemed to swallow me whole. My breath caught in my throat and I couldn't look away from him. "By the way, in case no one has told you, you are beautiful." With a final smirk, Scorpius pulled away from me, leaving me breathless and speechless. "You know where to find me, when you've made your decision." He turned away from me and disappeared down the stairs right as the bell for the next class rang. My heart raced and all I could do was stand there, plastered to the astronomy tower wall. Students flooded the halls and the tower, forcing me to come to my senses. I dashed back to the Charms classroom and grabbed my stuff, giving Professor Kyfarial, who sat at his desk, a nod before running back out and heading for Potions, which was all the way down in the basement. With our professor also being our head of house, I was not willing to even be a minute late. Besides, Professor Stroulger let us know from day one that he wouldn't tolerate much less than perfection. We, as Slytherins, had a duty to uphold the long standing reputation as the fiercest, most dedicated house. I slid into my seat right as the bell rang, leaving me breathless but happy I had made it on time. That happiness changed to dread shortly, though, because Potions was the class I was the worst at. No matter how close I paid attention and how hard I tried, I could never seem to get the hang of Potions. It was made even worse with the fact that Niobe was much better than me, a fact she always bragged about, especially when I failed miserably where she shone brighter. Professor Stroulger strode in a couple minutes after the bell, his intimidating demeanor commanding the classroom and demanding for silence. The idle murmurings and chatter of the class stopped as Stroulger took his position at the podium in front of the room.

"Hello class." His strong voice filled the room. "Today you will be trying to make the Draught of Living Death. Can anyone tell me what this potion is meant for? Anyone? Miss Hollywhite, perhaps you can enlighten us." His sea blue eyes fell on me, in the back of the class.

"Draught of Living Death is a potion that causes heavy sleep, almost as if the person the potion is used on is dead. It only has one cure that's been found, although we are still looking for another one." My voice whispered, but Stroulger's nod told me he heard me, and Niobe's venomous glare told me she heard me too. I hung my head, fighting back more tears. I imagine the professor was trying to help, but he, like Headmistress Dawn, ended up making things worse by pointing out my differences and highlighting my freakishness. I was startled by a small piece of paper landing perfectly on top of my potions book. Cautiously I picked it up, wondering if it was another stupid trick from Niobe. But when I opened it up, it silently bloomed into a holly blossom, with holly berries drawn beautifully around the leaves. Color splashed into the paper, the leaves turning vibrant green, the berries a soft ivory, the petals on the blossom turning a crimson red. The whole transformation only taking a few seconds, I was left to wonder where it had come from. I looked up and scanned the classroom, only to find Scorpius glancing back at me, a proud smirk on his face. Despite his devil may care attitude, I couldn't help but smile a little at his magic. It was beautiful. And I could see what he was saying, that I was beautiful, but then I caught Niobe staring longingly at Scorpius, watched her follow his gaze and land on me. Her eyes blazed with anger and I guessed that if we weren't in the middle of class, she would have gone after me right then and there. I groaned and dropped my head on the edge of my cauldron, ignoring the sting of pain from the impact. I sensed someone come up next to me. I dared to sneak a look out of the corner of my eye. Emeric Pyle looked down at me and smiled.

"Comfy down there?" he asked, his iridescent green eyes amused. I lifted my head and pushed my long bangs off my face.

"No, not particularly." I managed to sound normal, but my brain was whirling. Emeric was one of, if not, the most gorgeous guy in the entire school. He flipped his wavy brown hair out of his eyes and smiled again.

"Hey, I've noticed you were having trouble with potions. Would you be offended if I asked if I could help you in any way?" He laughed, his cheeks flushing slightly. I smiled at his shyness and turned back to my cauldron.

"I would not be offended. In fact, I would be very grateful for any help I could get. I really suck at this." I giggled to cover up my nervousness, and Emeric nodded, setting his stuff down next to me.

"Alright, what are you having problems with right now?" He asked, pulling out his potions book,


End file.
